How to Create Vector Sushi Icons in Adobe Illustrator

In
this tutorial you'll learn about different types of sushi and how to
draw them. You'll learn a lot of new techniques like: how
to create and use a Rice Scatter Brush and a Roe Scatter Brush, and how to
draw pretty, realistic seaweed, salmon, and tuna. You'll also save a lot of new
graphic styles along the way, which will help you throughout the
tutorial. If you fancy some Maki, Uramaki, Nigiri and Temaki sushi in
vector form, let's start the fun!

1. Start
a New Project

Launch
Illustrator
and
go to File
> New to
open a blank document. Type a name for your file, set up the
dimensions, and then select Pixels
as
Units
and
RGB
as
Color
Mode.
Make sure that Align
New Objects to Pixel Grid is
not checked.

Next,
go to Edit
> Preferences > General and
set the Keyboard
Increment to
1
px and, while there, go to Units
to
make sure they are set as in the following image. I usually work with
these settings, and they will help you throughout the drawing process.

2. Create
the Maki Sushi

Step
1

Maki
sushi is a rolled sushi with nori on the outside and rice on the
inside.

The
first thing to do is to draw a 77 x 77 px circle with the Ellipse
Tool (L). While the circle stays selected, go to Effect > Distort
& Transform > Roughen and apply the settings shown below.

Step
2

With
the circle still selected, go to the Object menu and choose Expand
Appearance in order to expand the Roughen effect. Ungroup
(Shift-Control-G) if necessary. Fill the resulting “roll shape”
with light brown and also give it a 2 pt Stroke.

We'll
use this “roll shape” to create another sushi roll later in the
tutorial, so make a copy of it before you continue.

Step
3

With
the “roll shape” still selected, press Add New Stroke in the
Appearance panel and drag this attribute to the bottom. Select a 5 pt
Stroke and after that, go to Effect > Path > Offset Path and
apply a Radius of 2 px.

Step
4

With
the “roll shape” still selected, press Add New Fill in the
Appearance panel and drag this attribute above the previous stroke.
Select the color indicated and, after that, go to Effect > Path >
Offset Path and apply an Offset of 3 px. Next, go to Effect >
Distort & Transform > Roughen and apply the settings shown
below.

3. Create
the Rice Scatter Brushes

Step
1

Grab
the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw a small 9 x 12 px ellipse; then draw a
smaller ellipse on top of it. Use the colors indicated to fill them
and, after that, while both of them are selected, go to Object >
Blend > Blend Options. Choose 10 Specified Steps and hit OK, and
then go back to Object > Blend > Make (Alt-Control-B).

Step
2

Use
the Ellipse Tool (L) again to draw a 9 x 15 px ellipse; then draw
another smaller ellipse on top of it. Use the colors indicated to
fill them and, after that, blend the two shapes as you did earlier.

Step
3

Drag
the first grain of rice, which is darker, into the Brushes panel, and
choose New Scatter Brush. Leave the settings as they are for the
moment, just type “Rice 1” as the name of the brush and hit OK.
Repeat the same thing with the second grain of rice and name the
brush “Rice 2”.

You
can see in the following image the true size of the rice grains at
100% View. They are very small. We are using two different grains of
rice because the end result will look more realistic.

4. Create
the Rice Filling

Step
1

Now
let's put the new brushes to use. Grab the Pencil Tool (N) and draw a
random path over the Maki sushi roll. The goal here is to cover the
brown area in the center, as proportional as possible, and without going over the edges. Keep your path inside the brown area and remember
that you can move any of the anchor points at any time with the
Direct Selection Tool (A).

Stroke
this path with the Rice 1 Scatter Brush. The stroke color is not
important, and keep the Stroke Weight at 1 pt. Next, open the Stroke
Options window and change the settings as shown below. We need more
rice, so let's continue.

Step
2

While
the path is still selected, press Add New Stroke in the Appearance
panel. Use the Rice 1 Scatter Brush again and keep the Stroke Weight
at 1 pt. Next, open the Stroke Options window and change the
settings.

Step
3

While
the path is still selected, add a New Stroke at the top of the
Appearance panel. This time, use the Rice 2 Scatter Brush, keeping the
Stroke Weight at 1 pt but changing the settings in the Stroke Options
window. After you are done, press the New Graphic Style icon at the
bottom of the Graphic Styles panel in order to save it for later use.
You can change the name to “Sushi Rice Graphic Style”.

Step
4

Your
rice filling won't look perfect on the first try, but don't worry—everything is fixable in Illustrator. If your rice goes over the
edges or you have empty areas, you can grab the Direct Selection Tool
(A) and move any of the anchor points individually. Make all the
adjustments necessary until you are happy with the result.

5. Create
the Maki Sushi Filling

Step
1

Let's
start with the piece of tuna. Grab the Pen Tool (P) and draw a shape
like the one below over the rice.

Step
2

Next,
draw three paths like below over the piece of tuna. Select a 10 pt
Stroke and the Width Profile 1 in the Stroke panel. Reduce the
Opacity to 25%.

Step
3

While
the three paths are still selected, add a second Fill above the
first. Select a 4 pt Stroke, the Width Profile 2, and keep the same
pink color. Set the Blending Mode to Soft Light.

Step
4

While
the three paths are still selected, add a third Fill above the
others. Select a 2 pt Stroke, the Width Profile 2, and keep the same
pink color. Reduce the Opacity to 50%.

After
you are done, press the New Graphic Style icon in order to save it
for later use. You can change the name to “Tuna details Graphic
Style”.

Step
5

Draw
a white shape over the right side of the tuna and reduce the Opacity
to 15%. This will create a shine.

Next,
draw a thinner white shape on top and reduce the Opacity to 18% this
time.

Step
6

Select
the piece of tuna and then Copy and Paste in Place (Shift-Control-V)
in order to obtain a copy of it and remove the existing gradient
fill. Now, select this copy along with the two white shapes and the
three paths, and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make
(Control-7).

Step
7

To
create the piece of cucumber and the piece of omelette, simply draw
the two shapes shown below and use the colors indicated.

Rotate
and arrange them next to the tuna as you want. To add some depth,
take the Pen Tool (P) and draw a shape around the filling, using a
dark olive green as the fill color. Send
this shape behind the filling but in front of the rice.

Step
8

Now,
grab the two grains of rice and make as many copies as you want.
Rotate and arrange them around and slightly over the filling. Group
(Control-G) all the grains of rice, and then go to Effect > Stylize >
Drop Shadow and apply the settings shown.

The
Maki sushi is ready at this point.

6. Create
the Uramaki Sushi

Step
1

Uramaki
is a rolled sushi with nori on the inside and rice on the outside,
also known as an inside-out sushi roll.

Use
the Ellipse Tool (L) to draw a small red circle. Next, draw a
moon-like shape on the left side filled with a darker red and, finally, the two small white shapes.

Drag
all the shapes into the Brushes panel and choose New Scatter Brush.
Type “Roe Scatter Brush” as the name, leave the settings as they
are, and hit OK.

Step
2

Grab
the copy of the “roll shape” that you made at the beginning of
the tutorial. Replace the existing stroke with the Roe Scatter
Brush and set the Stroke Weight to 1 pt. Next, open the Stroke
Options window and change the settings as shown below.

Step
3

Draw
a random path over the brown area as you did before, and simply choose
the Sushi Rice Graphic Style that you have saved in the Graphic
Styles panel. Make extra adjustments if necessary.

Step
4

To
create the piece of avocado, draw a triangle shape and fill it with
green. Draw another triangle over it and fill it with the radial gradient
shown. Group (Control-G) the two shapes and make a copy. Arrange the
pieces of avocado over the rice.

Step
5

Draw
a shape like the one in the next image as the piece of salmon. Use the linear
gradient shown to fill it.

Step
6

Draw
two paths on top of the salmon shape and select the Tuna details
Graphic Style that you have saved in the Graphic Styles panel
earlier. Replace the existing pink color and change some of the
settings as shown below.

While
the two paths are still selected, press the New Graphic Style icon in
order to save the new style for later. You can change the name to “Salmon
details Graphic Style”.

Step
7

Select
the salmon shape and then Copy and Paste in Place (Shift-Control-V)
in order to make a copy of it and remove the existing gradient fill.
Now, select this copy along with the two paths and go to Object >
Clipping Mask > Make (Control-7).

Step
8

Use
the Pen Tool (P) to draw a shape around the filling and fill it with
a dark olive green color. Stroke this path with the Charcoal –
Thick Art Brush from the Brush Libraries Menu > Artistic >
Artistic_ChalkCharcoalPencil. Set the Stroke Weight at 0.5 pt and
then send this shape behind the filling but in front of the rice.

Step
9

Grab
the two grains of rice and make as many copies as you want. Rotate
and arrange them around the filling and slightly over the nori sheet
on the inside for a more realistic look. Group (Control-G) all the
rice grains, go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow and apply the
settings shown below.

Step
2

With
the Pencil
Tool (N) draw a random path over the brown shape and simply select the Sushi Rice Graphic Style that you have saved in the Graphic
Styles panel. Make extra adjustments if necessary, and at this point
you shouldn't see portions of the brown shape underneath.

Step
3

Use
the Pen Tool (P) to draw the shape of the tuna, but don't cover the
rice entirely. Use the same gradient shown for the piece of tuna in
the Maki sushi filling. Next, draw five paths over the tuna and
select the Tuna details Graphic Style from the Graphic Styles
panel.

Step
4

To
add some shine, draw a white shape on the right side of the tuna and
reduce the Opacity to 15%. Next, draw a thinner white shape on top
and reduce the Opacity to 18%.

Step
5

Select
the tuna shape and then Copy and Paste in Place (Shift-Control-V) in
order to make a copy of it and remove the existing gradient fill.
Now, select this copy along with the five paths and the two white
shapes and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make (Control-7).

The
Tuna Nigiri sushi is ready at this point.

8. Create
the Nigiri Sushi With Salmon

Step
1

The
drawing process is pretty similar. First, draw the light brown
rectangle and apply the Round Corners effect. Continue with the
random path and select the Sushi Rice Graphic Style from the
Graphic Styles panel.

Step
2

Next,
draw the shape of the salmon with the Pen Tool (P) and use the linear
gradient shown to fill it. Continue with the four paths and select the Salmon details Graphic Style that you have saved in the Graphic
Styles panel. After that, draw the two white shapes on the left side
of the salmon to give it some shine.

Step
3

Select
the salmon shape and then Copy and Paste in Place (Shift-Control-V)
to create a copy of it and remove the existing gradient fill. Now,
select this copy along with the four paths and the two white shapes, and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make (Control-7).

Step
4

Let's
continue with the strip of seaweed over the salmon.
First, draw a shape like below and fill it with the linear gradient
shown.

While
the seaweed shape is still selected, add a New Fill in the Appearance
panel. Use white as the fill color; then go to Effect > Sketch >
Reticulation and apply the settings shown below. Set the Blending
Mode to Multiply and reduce the Opacity to 20%.

Step
5

While
the seaweed shape is still selected, add a New Fill above the others.
Use white as the fill color; then go to Effect > Artistic >
Sponge and apply the settings shown. Set the Blending Mode to Color
Burn and reduce the Opacity to 75%.

While
the seaweed is still selected, press the New Graphic Style icon in
order to save it for later. You can change the name to “Seaweed
Graphic Style”.

Step
6

Grab
the Pencil Tool (N) and draw a random zig-zag path on the right side
of the seaweed. Select a 0.1 pt Stroke; then go to Effect > Blur >
Gaussian Blur and apply a Radius of 1 px. Set to Blending Mode Hard
Light and 75% Opacity.

Draw
a smaller zig-zag shape on the left side of the seaweed and apply the
same settings, but reduce the Opacity to 50%.

Step
7

Select
the seaweed shape and then Copy and Paste in Place (Shift-Control-V)
in order to make a copy of it and remove all existing appearances.
Now, select this copy along with the original seaweed shape and the
two zig-zag paths and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make
(Control-7). As a result, you will get clean edges.

9. Create
the Temaki Sushi

Step
1

Temaki
is a cone-shaped roll having the sheet of nori on the outside and
rice on the inside.

Start
with a rhombus-like shape. Use the Add Anchor Point Tool (+) to add
two extra points at the top and with the Direct Selection Tool (A)
distort the top part of the cone as shown in the following image. After
that, simply select the Seaweed Graphic Style from the Graphic
Styles panel.

Step
2

Use
the Pen Tool (P) to draw a black shape at the top of the cone to
define the area where the rice will be placed. Draw a random path
that covers the black shape and apply the Sushi Rice Graphic
Style to it. Make extra adjustments by moving some of the anchor
points if the rice goes over the edge of the cone.

Step
3

With
the Pencil Tool (N) draw a random zig-zag path on the left side of
the cone, give it a 0.1 pt Stroke and apply a 2 px Gaussian Blur. Set
it to Blending Mode Hard Light and 60% Opacity.

Step
4

Draw
a black shape on the right side of the cone as in the following
image; then go to Effect > Stylize > Feather and apply a Radius
of 7 px in order to create a discreet shade.

Step
5

Select
the cone shape and then Copy and Paste in Place (Shift-Control-V) in
order to make a copy of it and remove all existing appearances. Now,
select this copy along with the original cone shape and everything
else except the rice, and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make
(Control-7). As a result, you will get clean edges.

Step
6

The
salmon roe is basically the same as the small roe from the Uramaki
sushi but bigger. Multiply and arrange a few in the middle of the
rice. After that, select only the roe at the bottom and from the
sides and apply the Drop Shadow effect.

Step
7

For
decoration, draw two green shapes and arrange them between the roe.
Make a copy of the piece of avocado from the Uramaki sushi and place
it behind the salmon roe.

The
Temaki sushi is ready at this point.

10. Create
the Soy Bowl and Chopsticks

Step
1

Use
the Ellipse Tool (L) to draw a 104 x 104 px white circle. After that,
draw a smaller circle in the center and fill it with the radial
gradient shown.

Step
2

Draw
a slightly smaller circle in the center and fill it with the radial
gradient shown. To add some shine, draw a half circle on the upper
left side of the soy and fill it with the linear gradient shown
below.

Step
3

For
the chopsticks, draw a long triangle-like shape but rounded at the
top. Continue with the thinner shape on the left side. Now, select
both shapes and go to Object > Blend > Blend Options. Choose 10
Specified Steps, hit OK, and then go back to Object > Blend >
Make (Alt-Control-B).

Step
4

Draw
another thin shape on the right side of the chopstick and fill it
with light brown. Go to Effect > Stylize > Feather and apply a
Radius of 2 px.

11. Add
the Shadows

Step
1

Go
back to the Maki sushi and select only the “roll shape”. Copy and
Paste in Place (Shift-Control-V), and then send this copy behind
everything by going to Object > Arrange > Send to Back
(Shift-Control-[). Remove all existing appearances and select any
fill color; then go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow and apply
the settings shown below.

Repeat
the same thing for the Uramaki sushi to create the shadow.

Step
2

Go
back to the Nigiri sushi with salmon. Select only the salmon shape
and then Copy and Paste in Place (Shift-Control-V) to create a copy
of it. Send this copy behind everything by going to Object >
Arrange > Send to Back (Shift-Control-[) and, after that, apply the
Drop Shadow effect.

Repeat
the same thing for the Nigiri sushi with tuna, using a copy of the
tuna shape to create the shadow.

Step
3

The
same thing goes for the Temaki sushi. Make a copy in back of the cone
shape, replace the existing appearances with any fill color, and then
apply the Drop Shadow effect.

Step
4

Group
(Control-G) all the shapes that make up the chopstick and, after that,
apply the Drop Shadow effect. Make a copy of the chopstick so you
have two, and position them as you want on your artboard.

Step
5

To
add the shadow for the soy bowl, select the first white circle and
apply the Drop Shadow effect using the settings shown. Group
(Control-G) all the shapes and name the group “soy bowl”.

Congratulations! You're Done

The
sushi board is ready now. You can find and download the beautiful
background on Freepik. It's free, realistic, and vector above all.

I
hope this tutorial was fun for you, and don't forget to share your
delicious sushi re-creations with us.